SCARE South Carolina Awareness and Rescue for Equines Inc.

05/30/2026

05/19/2026

We have recently lost a dear friend and a lifelong advocate for the beautiful horses and animals we all love. Birgit Conlen lost a long hard battle with cancer. She served as Vice President of SCARE for many years, as well as a foster and adopter to many of our special need horses. Unfortunately, Birgit and Kevin had no insurance and their savings were depleted on her treatment and care to take her home where she could spend her final days with her husband Kevin, and their four legged family. I’ve shared a GoFund Me organized by her sister to help with the great expense of her burial. If you are in a position to donate, it will be most appreciated. Please keep Birgit’s family and friends in your prayers as we all learn to live this life without her. The blessing, she is no longer suffering, and I can only imagine the greeting she received from the other side.

I am raising money to help with the funeral costs of my sist… Nicole Mason needs your support for In Memory of & to help with funeral costs for Birgit Conlen

03/08/2026

And this horse was one of the lucky ones.

I apologize now if this causes you to shed a tear 😢
Seven is the number of years I serve my owner, trotting, walking, loping, quiet, and gentle. I carry her children, husband, friends, neighbors. I have plenty of hay, horse friends, and time to myself. Green pastures, blue skies, I am at peace.
Six is the number of months I carry on in pain after falling. I do it for her, anything for her. She is impatient with me. I try hard to keep up, but the pain slows me down. Every step hurts. No one wants to ride me, a new horse arrives to carry on in my place. I do not know this word: "useless."
Five is the number of hours I stand in the small pen at the auction. I hurt, I do not know these horses, I do not know these people. I'm far from my pasture. I search for comfort, switching weight off my painful leg, the people notice. I do not know this word: "lame."
Four is the number of times my value is calculated by my weight. I don't understand their words but I can read their eyes. Hard stares. I try to be invisible, but they see me. I do not know this word: "slaughter."
Three is the number of sniffs I take of your face through the pen before deciding you are kind and safe. I like your eyes, they are soft. I like your hands they are gentle. Please don't leave me here. I try to pick my feet up for you, it hurts. I try hard. I rest my muzzle in your hand.
Two is the number of minutes it takes for me to pass through another pen. I am scared, I am trapped, I am alone, people are shouting, it hurts to walk. A man is talking, his voice echo's all around me, there are so many people watching me, hard stares. Suddenly it's over.
One is the number of hours it takes before I walk onto a trailer. I am alone, I am scared, it is moving. The door opens, I hold my breath and brace at the light. It's you!! I stand still and breathe slow. Kind hands, soft words, I'm not afraid now.
Two is the number of xrays the vet takes while I stand quietly for you, anything for you. Many days have passed. I have energy now, my pain is less. I like my new pasture, I like my new stall, I like my new hay. I don't know why we have a vet but I stand still for his visits. So many visits. I do not know this word: "rehabilitation."
Three is the number of months before the pain is all the way gone. I am relaxed with you, we start to ride together. I'm afraid the pain will come back, but you are gentle, so I try. I try hard for you, anything for you.
Four is the number of weeks I learn a new way of riding. Another person rides me every day. I'm becoming strong, I understand my lessons, I am proud to work, I feel you are happy with me, visiting me and learning together. I do not know this word: "training."
Five is the number of years I work hard for you. We travel to shows, we work cows, we ride with friends. We do hundreds and hundreds of miles together. You trust me and I trust you, I give you everything I have, everything for you, anything for you. I memorize your rhythm, your looks, your moods. I know when to be wild and when to be still. We are a team.
Six is the number of minutes I try to hide the pain after a fall, but you see through me. I stand for the vet, still as a stone. The pain leaves but I sense your sadness. I remember a word from before when I had pain, "useless", but you never say that word. You no longer ride me but I see you every day, for carrots and treats and long walks. I relax again, you will not abandon me. This is a new way of being together. I do not know this word: "retired."
Seven is the number of breaths I take in your arms. It has been many years, we have grown old and wise and slow together. I lay down like so many times before but could not rise. You came right away. I tried for you, but I could not stand. You say its ok, sink down next to me. I breathe slow. You are very close, holding my head, weeping, I feel your sadness so I put my muzzle in your hand one last time to comfort you, anything for you. I breathe out. Green pastures, blue skies, I am at peace. I know this word: "loved."
The End

**Shared from a friend's page...author unknown to me....

01/24/2026

Donkeys are not horses and they do not have the water shedding hair function that horses do.

Remember they are adapted to desert life.

Because of this they need a shelter, etc to stay dry or they run a very high risk of developing pneumonia.

A wet donkey is almost always a cold donkey.

Trees and shrubs are really not an adequate shelter for these creatures like they might be for horses.

You need to know a donkey is a very stoic creature. Often you won't see them shivering even though they are down right miserable.

11/20/2025

More information from a reputable source. All we can do is take precautions and implement best practices to keep our horses safe.

EHV-1 has everyone in the horse world on high alert right now, and understanding the facts can help bring clarity instead of panic.

What many people don’t realize:

EHV-1 spreads through:
• Direct horse-to-horse contact
• Respiratory droplets
• Contaminated surfaces
• Shared water or feed buckets
• Human hands or clothing that touch an infected horse

This is why limiting exposure helps — but eliminating all risk is impossible.

So while deciding what events to attend is important, it’s just as important to remember that every person’s situation, barn setup, and risk tolerance is different.

What we can all do:
• Practice good biosecurity
• Wash hands & change clothes after visiting other barns
• Don’t share buckets, hay bags, or grooming tools
• Monitor temperatures daily
• Stay home if your horse seems “off”
• Respect others’ decisions, even if they differ from yours

At the end of the day, we all love our horses and want to protect them. Fear doesn’t have to turn into division.

Be safe. Be smart. Be kind.
We’re in this together — and prayers for every horse, owner, vet, and barn crew working through this right now. 🤍🙏🐴

10/07/2025

Excellent explanation of the horses mechanical function.

09/22/2025

Courtesy post for Dream Equine.

09/13/2025

Our Willow sporting her new “shoes”. At the moment she stepping as high as TN Walker but she’s still getting use to it. They will make her feet feel so much better. She has already improved so much.